Detonating or disruptive explosive



iatented Oct. 7, 1924.

PATENT/OFFICE. I

FRIEDRICH OLSEN, 01! DOVER, NEW JERSEY.

DETONATING OB DISBUPTIVE nxrnosrvn Ho Drawing.

. production of a disruptive explosive from,

nitrocellulose smokeless powder or cordite.

Another object of the invention is the production of a non-freezing explosive composition which will be useful elther in underground places such as mines or tunnels,

or in open places such as quarries or excavations, or in other places in which cx-' plosives may be used. I

My composition consists of 'a mixture of a propellant powder, such as is found in the forms known as nitrocellulose smokeless powder or cordit e, with either ammonium perchlorate or with nitro-hydrocarbons such as trinitrotoluene or both, and with or without the ordinary so-called dope ingredients of dynamite or blasting powders, such as combustible non-ex loslve carbonaceous materials (e. g., woo meal, flour),

inorganic nitrates (e. g., saltpetre) or mangan'ese dioxide. It is well known that nitrocellulose has long been used in the manufacture of explosives, and attempts have been made to use nitrocellulose with nitroglycerine and the ordinary ingredients of dynamites and blasting powders, 'but the lack of success which usually attends the use of these 'pro- 4 ducts has resulted from their insensitiveness.- It has been my experience that when nitrocellulose is used in amounts more than say 5% of the weight of the nitroglycerine, or other liquid nitric acid ester of aliphatic alcohols, mlxtures are obtained which have a very slight ability to propagate the wave of detonation, especially if the mixture has been stored for a few months.

I have found that the dense form of colloided nitrocellulose found in smokeless powder or cordite, even when ground, be-

the colloiding process actually changles Application filed April 16, 1921; Serial a... 462,000.

haves quite differently from the loose and flufiy collodion cotton or gun cotton. The former is less hygroscopic and receives the initial detonating impulse from-the blasting cap. Theflhard colloided particles transmat the. wave of detonation in a manner which is not possible in the case of the fibrous collodion cotton or gun cotton.

Further, the action of colloided nitrocellulose in the form of smokeless owder or cordite can not be confused, with t at of the nitrocellulose used'in gelatinizing nitroglycerine or nitrocellulose. Inasmuch as the latter nitrocellulose is of about 3% of the weig t of the nitroglycerine or in less amounts when used with liquid nitrotoluenes and forms a stiff elatinous mass, whereas colloided nitroce ulose -must be used in amounts which are 200 or 300% as great as the amounts of uncolloided nitrocellulose employed. This may be due in art to the changes whichvhave been broug t about by the colloiding process to which the nitrocellulose has been subjected in mixing it with solvents and'con verting it into smokeless powder.

It is believed that the enormous pressures to which the nitrocellulose is subjected liln t e molecular structures of the nitroce ulose. It is certain that all the physical properties of nitrocellulose have been altered by the colloiding action andthe evidences for changes in chemical structure are based on experiments in which great differences in viscosity of solutions of uncolloided and colloided nitrocellulose were observed. That mechanical rocesses do actually promote changes in t e mechanical structure of mtrocellulose has been proven by dividing a batch of unpurified nitrated cellulose into two parts each of which was given the regular purification process with the exce tion that one part was subjected .to an additional ten hours of beating treatment.- This extra beating actually reduced a chemical change in some of the nitrocellulose giving the material the properties of nitrated hydrocellulose, and greatly changing the viscosity of solutions.

The change in gelatinizing' properties is resent in amounts also due to the-fact that a very cially prepared nitrocellulose in employe in themanufacture of gelatine dynamltes. This nitrocellulose has usually a nitrogen con- 8 tent of 11.912.15%, is 100% soluble'1n a mixture of two parts ether and one part alcohol, and .gives stifi' jellies with nitroglycerine when used in the proportion of about 3%. Great care is exercised in either 10 eliminating or at least reducing to a mimmum all boiling treatments, especiall diluted alkali solutions, in the manu acture of this collodion cotton. Experiments have shown that the treatment accorded to pyro- 1e cotton during the purification process is of such a severe nature that'when applied to collodion cotton practically ruins the colieiding properties of this substance. A great number of tests show that the 'VlSr cosity of normally prepared collodioncotton in a certainapparatus was measured at instfi to 15 for the same material whic had been subjected to the regular pyrocotton purification treatment. I

I have discovered that, if instead of nitrolycerine, ammonium perchlorate onnitroydrocarbon such as nitrotoluene are used as the explosive base, explosive mixtures having very desirable properties are obtained.

The essential features of the explosive com 'tion herein described is that it affor an outlet for surplus or wade pro lant wders, the utilization or dispose of whi presents a formidable problem.

For example, not only does theuse of ammonium perchlorate assure a complete detonation of the propellant powder with the use of an' ordinary No. 6 detonator, and an excellent propagation of the explosive 4o wave but also serves as an oxy en carrier for the propellant powder, there y procuring a grealer strength and. freedom from obnoxious elements.

- Many grades of powder can be obtained by varying the proportions of ammonium perchlorate and propellant powders. For

example, grades can readily be made to correspond to the 20, 30, 40%, etc, nitroglycerine 'tes or ammonium nitrate 9 powders. x follo mixtures may more examples of powers which can 'Irinltrotoluene 30 Propellant powders Wood meal with powder. N

Trlnitrotoluem anus ,Propollant powder 15 to 75 Ammonium perchlorate A greater cohesiveness may be secured by the use of mixtures of trimtrotoluene and dinitrotoluene, liquid trinitrotoluene, various liquid or semi-liquid ,nitrohydrocarbons or other common binding agents, such as castor oil, shellac compounds, etc. The use of these substances. does, not, however, vary the nature or my invention, and I claim my invention with or without their use.

The most suitable results are obtained when the smokeless powder or cordite is ground so that 100% will pass through a standard 30 mesh sieve, and at least will pass through a 50 mesh sieve. But I do not wish to limit my invention by the,

suggested use of this granulated form, or by 'the'su pulverization which I have indie My invention covers the use of the said material with or without this pulverization. It may be found desirable to use some other perchlorate than ammonium perchlorate as for example, potassium per chlorate. y invention covers the use of anivlavailable inorganic perchlorate.

' aving described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 1. The herein described explosive,

ammonium toluene, a propellant powder and a combustible non-explosive material 2. The herein described explosive, taining toluene and a propellant wd'er.

3. The herein descri explosive, containiig trinitmtoluene and .a propellant W cm.

4. The herein described ex losivo, containing 30% of ammonium onto, 30% of trinitrotoluene and '40 o of concon-

ammonium perchlorate, tnnitroperchlorate, tnnitro- 

